The UN Working Group’s mission was the first official visit ever to Samoa by independent experts designated by the UN Human Rights Council. Kamala Chandrakirana and Eleonora Zielinska represented the Working Group. Text from the preliminary findings as regards the issue of abortion: “…We are alarmed at the high rates of teenage pregnancy (9%), which lead to stigmatisation, exclusion and fines in certain villages. In this regard, we reiterate our view that … Continued

A call by the Ministry of Health to amend the laws that govern abortion in Samoa was included in their just published National HIV, AIDS, and STI Policy 2017-2022. It says: “Laws around abortion need to be amended to adequately address access to abortion for HIV positive women, and legal interventions for increasing access to Sexual Assault and SRH Services need to be developed.” In Samoa, abortion is an offence under the Crimes … Continued